The Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is warning the public Monday about a secret shopper scam that's going around.
CCSO said the scammers will send out an official-looking USPS Priority Mail or FedEx packages that contain a check with instructions. The instructions tell the victim to cash the check and use the money to buy gift cards. While doing so, it asks the victim to take part in a survey and "evaluate" customer service at stores like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
After evaluating the stores, the victims are then instructed to text or email their evaluation with the gift card's activation code and a picture to "confirm" the cards were activated. In return, the victim is told they'll get to keep part of the gift card for helping out and that they can't tell anyone.
CCSO warns the public to not cash the check. It says the check is fake and will bounce. Because you are taking out cash, you will be responsible by the bank for the loss.
CCSO also shares the following tips to avoid getting scammed:
- Don't cash checks from unknown sources
- Don't respond to any of the contact information
- Check the tracking numbers on packages to see if it reflects a return address
- Report the incident to the Postal Inspector
